Butler Bulldogs
Former Butler star Andrew Smith, 25, loses battle with cancer
Butler Bulldogs

Former Butler star Andrew Smith, 25, loses battle with cancer

Published Jan. 12, 2016 5:46 p.m. ET

Andrew Smith, a 25-year-old who played on two Final Four teams for the Butler University basketball team, died Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer.

Smith's wife, Samantha, announced his passing.

On Sunday, Samantha Smith revealed in a blog post that doctors had told her that her husband's passing was imminent. Andrew Smith was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma early in 2014.  

Smith, a 6-foot-11 center, went to the Final Four with Butler in both 2010 and 2011 and improved his scoring numbers in each of his four seasons with the Bulldogs. As a senior in 2012-13, he averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.

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Butler released a statement Tuesday afternoon:

"The Butler community is profoundly sad today with the news of Andrew's passing. We saw the way Andrew fought on the basketball court and we saw the way he fought for his health. In both cases, we saw the best of Andrew Smith. But that's what we always saw from Andrew. He gave his all, all the time. As an Academic All-American, he represented the best of Butler in the classroom and on the court. Above all else, what made Andrew special was the way that he genuinely cared for others. Within his large frame was an even larger heart. He is, was, and always will be a Bulldog. The Butler community is proud to have been part of his life, and our thoughts are with his wife, Samantha; his parents, Debbie and Curt; and the rest of his family." 

 

 

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